Innovative Clinical Research Trial to Personalise Medication Management in Residential Aged Care Launched
The new clinical research trial is designed to potentially revolutionise medication management for aged care residents.
2 September 2024
The Australian-first clinical trial will see Whiddon partner exclusively with The University of Sydney, myDNA, Choice Aged Care and Arrotex Pharmaceuticals to deliver pharmacogenomic services in a multi-site research project across four residential aged care homes. The University of Sydney is sponsor of the study.
Set to commence from September 2024, the clinical trial represents a significant advancement in leveraging pharmacogenomics to tailor medication prescription. The research aims to help GPs, pharmacists and aged care providers better understand how each individual resident will respond to medications based on their genetic profiles.
The two-year, multi-site research study will be launched across four Whiddon Homes in NSW encompassing 200 aged care residents.
Residents included in the trial opt to have a non-invasive cheek swab, which is then tested by myDNA to reveal their individual genotype. The research will seek to understand if providing doctors with insights into individually targeted medication prescriptions will reduce adverse medication events to deliver better outcomes and quality of life for those living in care.
By harnessing these insights on residents’ pharmacogenomic profiles, the research project addresses the pressing challenge of polypharmacy among older Australians. Currently, over one million elderly take five or more regular medicines1, contributing to approximately 250,000 hospital admissions annually, of which two-thirds are believed to be preventable2.
"This clinical trial is a pivotal effort in integrating pharmacogenomics into aged care. By tailoring medication based on genetic profiles, we aim to optimise treatment efficacy and minimise adverse effects for residents in Care Homes. Our goal is to enhance personalised care and improve health outcomes in an aging population, paving the way for a new standard in personalised medicine," says research lead Dr Sophie Stocker from the School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney who is leading the research program.
Previous report findings have indicated that up to 50 per cent of residential aged care (RAC) residents had been prescribed one or more potentially inappropriate medications, and over 90 per cent of residents faced at least one medication-related problem3.
Acknowledging the significance of the clinical trial and its impact for the aged care sector, Whiddon CEO Chris Mamarelis said:
"At Whiddon, we continually innovate our approach in order to positively impact the lives of our residents and clients. As we have done in the past, this groundbreaking research, is another incredibly important step towards ensuring quality of life within aged care. Its critical that we continue to find ways to improve and where possible reduce the oversubscribing of medication. This trial is aimed at achieving just that, combining science and technology to proudly set a new standard of care for our sector.”
Research suggests up to 96 per cent of individuals in Australia have at least one actionable pharmacogenomic variation, with many residing in the genes responsible for metabolising commonly prescribed medications4.
Whiddon Deputy CEO, Alyson Jarrett, who has been instrumental in the development of the trial, spoke to the potential of the trial to improve resident outcomes, specifically for the over 50 per cent of aged care residents living with Dementia.
“Medication related harm is a significant risk factor for our residents, and by integrating cutting-edge genetic science with clinical practice, we deliver care that is safer and more effective for our residents. Through this innovative application of pharmacogenomics, we can better manage medication prescription and administration by tailoring medications and dosage to the individual resident, reducing unnecessary side effects.”
She continues, “This is particularly true for our residents living with dementia who may be prescribed psychotropic medication to manage their dementia related symptoms. Using pharmacogenomics to identify the medications that the resident is most likely to have the best response to, can reduce unnecessary adverse side effects and result in better outcomes for the resident.”
It is also anticipated there will be a health economics benefit from improved and individualised prescription of medications, with less side effects and therefore less hospitalisations from falls and other adverse outcomes. In 2022, it was the estimated the cost to the healthcare system for medication-related issues was approximately $1.4 billion.
The results of the clinical trial are expected to be finalised in mid-2026. The study has been approved by the University of Sydney Human Research Ethics Committee(HREC:2024/HE000370).
1 Page AT, Falster MO, Litchfield M, Pearson SA, Etherton-Beer C. Polypharmacy among older Australians, 2006-2017: a population-based study. Med J Aust. 2019;211(2):71-5.
2Lim R, Ellett LMK, Semple S, Roughead EE. The Extent of Medication-Related Hospital Admissions in Australia: A Review from 1988 to 2021. Drug Saf. 2022;45(3):249-57.
3Roughead, E., Semple, S. & Rosenfeld, E. 2013, Literature review: Medication Safety in Australia, Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care.
4 Mostafa S, Kirkpatrick CMJ, Byron K, Sheffield L. An analysis of allele, genotype and phenotype frequencies, actionable pharmacogenomic (PGx) variants and phenoconversion in 5408 Australian patients genotyped for CYP2D6, CYP2C19, CYP2C9 and VKORC1 genes. J Neural Transm (Vienna). 2019 Jan;126(1):5-18. doi: 10.1007/s00702-018-1922-0. Epub 2018 Sep 6. PMID: 30191366.
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About Whiddon
Whiddon is an award-winning care provider that aims to inspire every day in its 23 residential aged care homes, dedicated community care and NDIS support across New South Wales & Southeast Queensland. Its purpose is to enrich people’s lives and make a real difference.
Whiddon has been providing exceptional care to older Australians and people with disabilities across regional, rural, and remote NSW and QLD for more than 75 years.
Whiddon proudly partners with academics and universities to remain at the forefront of innovation as it leads the latest thinking, programs, and training around quality of life and ageing.
About myDNA
myDNA is a leading genetic testing service provider, specialising in Precision Health. We help people understand their genetic profile so they can make more informed decisions for medications, health and wellness.
myDNA has a NATA accredited laboratory in Melbourne and CAP, AABB and CLIA accredited laboratory in Houston and provides services across Australia, Asia, USA and the UK. The company was founded by Associate Professor Les Sheffield, who has been at the forefront of genetic research since the 1980's.
Scientific credibility and a focus on evidence-based, peer-reviewed research is fundamental to our ongoing success. Our Clinical team includes clinical pharmacologists and pharmacists, molecular and clinical geneticists, genetic counsellors, nutritionists and dieticians.
About Choice Aged Care
Choice Aged Care is Australia's leading clinical pharmacist services provider and has a long-standing relationship with Whiddon dating back to the mid-1990s. Our national team of credentialed pharmacists support care providers to achieve safe and quality use of medicines via the government-funded Aged Care Onsite Pharmacist, RMMR, QUM and Home Medication Review services.
Choice Aged Care is delighted to be involved in this innovative industry collaboration and envisages that pharmacogenomics can play a significant role in promoting medication safety and person-centred health interventions.
About The University of Sydney
The University of Sydney is one of the world’s leading, comprehensive research and teaching universities. We offer an exceptional range of disciplines – more than 400 areas of study – and our community includes more than 70,000 students, 8000 permanent and fixed-term staff and 350,000 alumni in more than 170 countries.
Leadership has always been at the core of our values. We were one of the first universities in the world to admit students solely on academic merit, and to open our doors to women on the same basis as men. Our aim is to make lives better not just by producing leaders of society, but through equipping our people with the qualities that allow them to serve all of our communities at every level.
In creating the first university in Australia in 1850, our founders recognised the power of education to inspire positive change. We hold that belief just as strongly today.
Currently ranked 18th in the global QS World University Rankings, the University of Sydney is also consistently placed among the top universities in the world.
